OHB

The systems specialist OHB System AG is one of the leading independent forces in European space.

Created: 2020-05-18

Updated: 2023-03-12

Company - OHB

Founded
Country: 1958; Germany

Website: OHB

Social

Product/Service - IMPERIAL

Classification: In-Space Manufacturing

Category: In-Space Manufacturing

Fields: Additive Manufacturing (3D printing)

Status: Development

First launch: 2025

Partners: Israel Aerospace Industries

Additive Manufacturing

Starting in 2014, both OHB Systems and BEEVERYCREATIVE participated in a consortium to pursue the Manufacturing of Experimental Layer Technology (MELT) project for ESA. The goal of this project was to design a fully functional AM breadboard model that could work in microgravity environments and use engineering polymers such as PEEK. In May 2018, the MELT 3D printer prototype was delivered to ESA, which became Europe’s first 3D printer for space.

IMPERIAL Additive Manufacturing Project

Capable of 3D printing parts much larger than itself, the new machine dubbed IMPERIAL overcomes one of the main constraints of current off-Earth 3D printers, limited build volume. The project was undertaken for ESA by a consortium led by German space technology firm OHB SE, with Berlin-based space engineering company Azimut Space; the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland, and Portuguese 3D printer manufacturers BEEVERYCREATIVE. Now that the ground-based prototype is complete, the next step would be to test it in orbit aboard the ISS.

The IMPERIAL project is not the only additive manufacturing-related initiative that OHB System and ESA are collaborating on. In fact, the company’s Human Spaceflight department has worked with the space agency for the past three years on 3D printing applications for space exploration. One of the more notable projects is ESA’s plan to 3D print a Lunar Base. OHB System reportedly helped to conceive of the project and put together the corresponding study.

A ground-based prototype for a new microgravity 3D printer is now complete and awaits deployment to the International Space Station (ISS) for testing. Capable of 3D printing parts much larger than itself, the new machine dubbed IMPERIAL overcomes one of the main constraints of current off-Earth 3D printers, limited build volume.

Additive manufacturing for in-space manufacturing seems to be the primary focus related to this database as of early 2023.

Link

Product/Service - LSAS (Lunar Surface Access Service)

Classification: Cargo Transportation & Landers

Category: Transport Service (LEO-Moon)
Commercial Lunar Lander

Fields: Moon

Status: Early stage

First launch: 2025

The systems specialist OHB System AG is one of the leading independent forces in European space.

Lunar Lander

Plans to launch a commercial lunar lander mission in cooperation with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in late 2022 as it looks for government and commercial customers.

OHB and IAI announced an agreement in January 2019 to cooperate on an initiative to deliver payloads to the lunar surface. Under that Lunar Surface Access Service (LSAS) program, OHB would serve as the prime contractor and handle payloads, while IAI provided a lander based on the design of SpaceIL’s Beresheet lander, which at time was approaching launch.

The LSAS (Lunar Surface Access Service) landing system relies on the design of the Israeli lunar lander Beresheet, co-developed by the SpaceIL organization and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which embarked on a failed landing mission in 2019 and is set for a second attempt in three years. IAI and OHB joined forces two years ago to develop the LSAS for global commercial customers.

Based in Germany, OHB manages and coordinates the LSAS project — from the selection of the payloads, to their integration on the moon lander, to the mission launch — as well as individual missions to the moon. As part of the new agreement, Helios’ tech will fly on the first three LSAS missions to the lunar surface starting in 2025.

Created: 2023-02-18

Updated: 2023-02-26

Link

Sources

Most sources should be linked in the texts and headings as revealed by mouse-over, but here are they listed for visibility.

[1] https://www.ohb-system.de/main-company.html

[2] https://spacenews.com/ohb-and-iai-plan-commercial-lunar-lander-mission-in-late-2022/

News, Research, Projects and Patents

Title	Type	Date	Summary
ESA’s New Microgravity 3D Printer Could Revolutionize Space Manufacturing	News	2022-03-14	A ground-based prototype for a new microgravity 3D printer is now complete and awaits deployment to the International Space Station (ISS) for testing. Capable of 3D printing parts much larger than itself, the new machine dubbed IMPERIAL overcomes one of the main constraints of current off-Earth 3D printers, limited build volume.

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